Kids need to know what they mean to their parents, and and should have something to cherish after their parents are gone. I started writing each of my children a letter in a journal every month since they were born. I describe events that occurred that month:

places we went

people we visited

how they made me feel

how I feel about them

something goofy or silly they did to make me giggle.

If some months pass by, I just write one letter for those few months and explain. God forbid something happens to me, they will have these letters for a lifetime and know exactly how I felt about them!